When Oak Middle School science teacher David Beck read the hit sci-fi thriller “The Martian” a couple of years ago, he was captivated. It wasn’t just that the hero is an astronaut stranded on Mars who must use his knowledge of physics, chemistry, astronomy and math to survive four years until a rescue mission can reach him. Beck saw something even more exciting as he turned the pages: a classroom.
“When I first read the novel, I knew I could virtually teach all of eighth grade physical science from the book. It was a gift, ” he said.
There was only one problem. As a reader might expect, a frustrated Mars castaway might be expected to use some salty language from time to time, and in Andy Weir’s novel, astronaut Mark Watney does. Quite a bit. Beck “really wanted his students to read it,” said Oak Principal Erin Kominsky, “but it was clearly inappropriate for eighth-graders.” Beck and Kominsky briefly considered buying copies of the novel and using markers to cross out the swearing, but decided against it.
Like Watney, Beck would not be deterred. He reached out to Weir through his publisher and asked if a school appropriate version could be published so that the educational potential of the work could be realized. Beck was persistent and over several months other science teachers joined the chorus. The result was a revised “Martian” classroom edition that so far has sold 25,000 copies. Each of Oak’s 380 eighth-graders received a copy of the book.
Beck explains to his students that “The Martian” provides the basis for an entire year of lessons because it “shows that combining working science knowledge with heroic, never-say-die persistence can make a great story and teach us useful life lessons, like, ‘Science is really cool’ and, ‘Never, ever give up, especially if your life depends on it.’”
Beck’s students investigate topics such as interplanetary distances and the demands they place on humans and technology, the science of making water (the stranded Watney has to do that to survive) and the relationship between weight, trajectory and power in calculating what it would take to escape the Martian atmosphere.
Beck also hosts weekly “Martian Fridays,” where his students discuss and respond to the science involved in key turning points in the novel.
Along with adoption of “The Martian,” Kominsky said, the school’s science and English departments have worked to incorporate substantially more writing into rigorous science lessons.
In addition the English department is planning on using “The Martian” later this year in studying how stories are structured.
Beck said a side benefit of bringing Mars into the classroom is how it motivates kids to read; many have finished the book ahead of schedule.
Beck’s Martian program is just part of Oak Middle School’s energetic pursuit of science learning.
The school has an active 3D printing lab that offers modeling opportunities to classes across the curriculum.
The school’s Science Olympiad team recently placed sixth among all schools in Orange County and took home eight medals including a first place in wind power design.
This article appeared in the April 19, 2017 print edition of the News Enterprise.
